The Bossier banner., 1887-10-06
PETROLEUM WELLS.
The Selection and First Tapping Of Prom
ising Spots.


The Selection and First Tapping of Prom
ising Spots.
ProspectoYs ia selecting promising
spot to test new territory are often in
fluenced by a "belt theory, first ad-
vanced by a man named Angel. In q
general way his idea has been verified
by experience. 1t proceeded upon the
hypothesis that oil lies in belts or pools
having a northeast and southwest
trend, sometimes called the ''forty-five
degree line" In districts known to be
oil-bearing the wells are frequently To-
Gated near the boundary of the owners
property. The object is to drain as
much of his neighbor's oil as possible,
for there are no partitions in the sub
terranean chambers corresponding
to the lines of surface ownership. The
driller's motto is ''first come, first
served" hence there is generally a
race to see who shall first tap natures
till.
When the exact spot for the well has
been determined upon, well-hole is
dug about fifteen feet in depth, and if
solid rock is not reached, wrought
iron pipe eight to twelve inches in
diameter is driven down to it, Above
this is erected the derrick" I, a pyramid
al structure of heavy timbers, generally
seventy-two feet in height. At each
side is located fifteen to twenty horse
power engine, which operates walk
ing-beam to which is attached heavy
cable and the drilling apparatus.
This consists of four parts. The up
per one is called the '.sinker-bar",
about eighteen feet in length; next
come the Jars seven feet in length;
then the "auger-stem" about thirty
feet long, OF three and one-quarter inch
cold rolled steel; and finally, at the end
of this is "bit" three feet in length.
Thus equipped, steam is turned on, and
the ponderous weight of two thousand
to three thousand pounds. alternately
raised and dropped, as in pile-driver,
drives the bit into the rock at the av-
erage rate of sixty to one hundred feet
daily. After drilling for some time the
tools are hoisted and a fresh bit is in
serted. Meanwhile '.sand pump or
"bailer', cylindrical tube with valves
opening inward, is dropped down the
hole to remove detritus or water. A
casing is fitted snugly to the walls
of the well to keep out the water; and
when it is necessary to pump the Oil,
the well is tubed. The tube is about
two inches in diameter, around which
rubber packer is inserted just above
the oil and gas bearing rock. This
cuts off the escape of the gas, forcing
it up through the tube, and causing the
well to flow. The bore of the well va
ries from eight to six inches, and its
depth varies with the geological for
nation, averaging perhaps twelve hum
dred to fifteen hundred feet, and some-
times reaching twenty-five hundred.
The cost of well naturally depends
upon its location, depth and character
Of rock. The owner generally erects
the derrick, engine and tank, at an
average expense of fifteen hundred dol
lars, and then contracts with driller
to furnish the tools and sink we'll
This charge will probably average sixty
cents per foot. 1t is perhaps safe to
say that wells in the larger fields aver
age in cost from twenty-five hundred
to three thousand dollars
1OI ptNOcS, WIllCu were ufSt InlfO-
duced about 1865, were received with
distrust, but are now in general use,
and have become a necessary part of
the equipment of we'll They arc
cylindrical tubes, varying in size, but
generally eight inches in len rth and
four in diameter, containing fluid nitro
glycerine. These torpedoes are care
fully lowered into the wells and ex-
ploded by dropping q twenty-pound
cast-iron weight upon them from above.
The explosion skaters the walls, giving
Il greater exposure of surface to draw
oil from, thus stimulating the wells and
increasing their production Though
this Treatment hastens the exhaustion
of well it is believed by MANY that
the amount of oil obtained exceeds
what otherwise would be procured. AT
first only five or six quarts Of nitro
glycerine were introduced, but now it
is no unusual thing to employ one hun
dred and twenty to two hundred quarts
OF glycerine, equal to 3,240 to 5,4OO
pounds of gunpowder. George r. Gib-